I've been randonneuring for 2yrs now with the longest brevet completed being a 600k (twice). The first year I rode my Rambouillet which worked fine. I didn't have a front bag at that time so I carried all my gear in a Carradice Barley bag. This set-up worked well enough. For tires I used Paselas (700x32). The bike really performed well. By the time my second year rolled around I had my Hilsen and used that. I also acquired a Berthoud HB bag which I mounted on a Mark's rack. This set-up also worked well, especially the HB bag. Next year my plan is to do another super randonneur series and the Cascade 1200k. I'm actually thinking of using my Rambouillet but I have plenty of time to figure it out. I guess the main reason is I'm thinking of using 28s (Challenge tires or T-Serves).
All the bikes you mentioned would work well. There are so many variables that go into a successful brevet. I've seen people do brevets on fixed gear bikes, 26" wheeled bikes, carbon bikes, Surlys, bents and with all kinds of different types of luggage for carrying gear. I even saw two guys do 100k populaires on unicycles! I've thought at times of getting a dedicated randonneuring bike such as the Boulder Bicycle or something custom but my Rivendells have worked fine and I feel like they're just a little more versatile, especially the Hilsen. And yes, I realize that if I went custom I could get a bike even more versatile than the Hilsen. Find a bike that fits well and can accommodate tires at least up to 28 and I think you'll be doing okay. Since the Rommulus is no longer available from Rivendell it's really just a matter of you choosing the tire size if you go with a Rivendell. I should mention that I've ridden with folks who have completed brevets on Riv customs, Hilsens, Rambouillets, and Atlanti. You might want to consider just getting out and doing some brevets on the bike you have although it sounds like you've already done this. Definitely don't be shy about calling Rivendell with questions about their bikes. --mike On Aug 30, 8:31 am, Frank <[email protected]> wrote: > As a prospective randonneur but one with little experience with rides > over 400k, I am planning to dedicate one bike to next year’s series. > Recognizing the breadth of on-the-road experience on this list, I am > interested in opinions about the “better” choice between the Saluki, > AHH, and the Romulus. Is comfort the driving factor, or are there > other, more subtle criteria that also warrant consideration? I > believe that any of the three will perform just fine, but I will be > setting just one up for brevets and would like to get it as right as > possible. I own all three, all are comfortable, but each is set up a > little differently. Thanks for any input. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
